Transient arrested in City Park killing

Update, Feb. 26, 2018: Jeffrey Etheridge sentenced to life in prison for Helena Hoffmann murder in City Park

Update, Jan. 8, 2018:Fort Collins City Park homicide suspect pleads guilty to murder

Fort Collins police say a registered sex offender and self-described transient sexually assaulted and killed a Fort Collins mother and dumped her body in the lake at City Park last week. 

Jeffrey Scott Etheridge, 27, was arrested about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder. Sexual assault charges are also possible, police said Thursday.

Investigators obtained a warrant for Etheridge's arrest Wednesday after they discovered unspecified evidence they say links him to the June 21 death of Heather "Helena" Hoffmann, 23.

"Based on the information we've collected so far, there is no indication that they knew each other," police spokeswoman Kate Kimble told the Coloradoan, adding detectives are working to determine whether they had any sort of casual acquaintance. 

There is no reason to believe others were involved in Hoffmann's death, police said. 

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Kimble also confirmed Etheridge arrived recently in Fort Collins. 

Etheridge in May registered as a sex offender in Colorado, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation — he was also listed as "transient" on those forms.

He was convicted in August 2011 in Kentucky for possession of material depicting sexual acts by a minor, records show. Investigators said he took nude photos of his ex-girlfriend — a high school teen — and posted them on Myspace, according to news reports based on court documents. The girl told a school resource officer, sparking an investigation in September 2009 that resulted in the seizure of his home computer.  

He was sentenced to five years in prison in that case. The Kentucky Department of Corrections confirmed on Thursday he was released Jan. 31, 2014. 

Etheridge is also designated as a sex offender in Florida, according to online records. Additional details about his history or prior criminal allegations were not immediately available. 

Etheridge is being held without bond at the Larimer County Jail. He made a brief court appearance via video conference Thursday afternoon. An arrest affidavit containing details about his alleged involvement in Hoffmann's death has been sealed by law enforcement request. 

He is next due in court July 7. 

Prior to Etheridge's arrest Wednesday, investigators hadn't revealed much about the death of the 23-year-old mother they labeled last week as "suspicious." Until Thursday, it was unclear whether a suspect had been identified or even whether the woman was killed after she left work at the Campus West McDonald's, 1250 W. Elizabeth St.,  about 1 a.m. June 21. 

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Hoffmann's body was spotted floating in Sheldon Lake in City Park, about a mile north of McDonald's, 17 hours later. 

"After evaluating the scene and conducting numerous interviews, detectives ruled out the possibility of accidental injury or death," police said Thursday in a statement.

The Larimer County Coroner's Office said on Thursday no new information would be released until the investigation and autopsy are completed, a process that can take up to six weeks.

Investigators declined to say where and how Hoffmann died.

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The unusual case of Hoffmann's death had been a topic of community unease as police worked to find answers.

If, in fact, it turns out there is no established relationship between Hoffmann and Etheridge, the case would be among only a handful of homicide cases involving strangers in Northern Colorado.

Most notably, a string of unsolved shootings left a Windsor man dead May 18, 2015. The town’s beloved “ambassador of happiness,” John Jacoby, was shot and killed while riding his bicycle on a rural stretch of street on the northern outskirts of the town. Weeks later, William Connole was gunned down while at a central Loveland street corner. Those two deaths were among a series of still unsolved shootings that also left a woman injured as she drove Interstate 25 outside of Fort Collins.

In terms of Fort Collins police cases, the 2003 murder of Lacy Jo Miller by police impersonator Jason Clausen remains one of the city’s few recent homicides in which the assailant was unknown to the victim. In that case, Clausen posed an a member of law enforcement and pulled Miller over. He then kidnapped and killed her before dumping her body in the Poudre Canyon.

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Hoffmann's friends and family have been left searching for answers. This week, many remembered her as having a passion for art. Fantastical creatures, such as mermaids and Halloween scenes, held a special place in her heart.

She had a 4-year-old daughter, Mary.

Zach Denton, Mary's father, told the Coloradoan previously the girl lives with him full time, though she saw her mother at least twice a week. Denton told his daughter about Hoffmann's death on Friday, two days after Hoffmann's body was pulled from Sheldon Lake.

"She doesn't understand the permanence of it," Denton said. "She'll ask, 'Where's mom?' and it's difficult.''

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Det. Tessa Jakobsson at tjakobsson@fcgov.com or call 970-221-6575. Tips can also be reported to Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at www.stopcriminals.org or 970-221-686.

Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

Correction: This online version of the story has been updated to reflect Etheridge's actual age.

Coloradoan reporter Saja Hindi contributed to this report. 

Reporter Jason Pohl covers public safety for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.